Ernest Eugene Schuyten (7 November 1881 – November 1974) was a Belgian-born

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

. Ernest Schuyten was born in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

(Belgium). He studied first at the Brussels Conservatory under

Flor Alpaerts Flor Alpaerts ( Antwerp, 12 September 1876 – Antwerp, 5 October 1954) was a Belgian conductor, pedagogue and composer. He graduated from the ''Vlaamse Muziekschool'' in 1901. He was artistic director of the Peter Benoit Foundation, co-direct ...

(he graduated in 1900 as a violinist) and later at the

Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp The Royal Conservatoire Antwerp ( nl, Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen) is a Belgian conservatory of music, dance and drama in Antwerp, Belgium. It was founded in 1898 as the Royal Flemish Conservatoire by Peter Benoit. The legislation on u ...

(graduated in 1903). In 1910 (other sources give the year 1915) Ernest Schuyten emigrated to the US, settled in New Orleans and later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He became head of the violin department of the

H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, or Newcomb College, was the coordinate women's college of Tulane University located in New Orleans, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was founded by Josephine Louise Newcomb in 1886 in memory of her daughter ...

, conducted the

New Orleans Symphony Orchestra The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is an American orchestra based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only full-time, professional orchestra in the Gulf South. The orchestra performs at the Orpheum Theater. The Louisiana Philharmonic O ...

and founded in 1916 the Crescent City Symphony. This orchestra emerged later into the New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony. In 1919 Ernest Schuyten left the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College and founded the New Orleans Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Arts. The Conservatory was incorporated in 1932 into the

Loyola University New Orleans Loyola University New Orleans is a Private university, private Jesuit university in New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name o ...

which formed the College of Music and Ernest Schuyten became its first dean until his retirement in 1953. Under his leadership the college was the first to offer a

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of prescr ...

for voice or an instrument. Ernest Schuyten was also the conductor of the Loyola Symphony Orchestra during his time at university. Ernest Schuyten received different honours for his work, among them are a fellow of the National College of the Dominion of Canada (in 1939) and was decorated as Knight of the Crown of Belgium. Beside his work as a teacher and conductor Ernest Schuyten always composed music which he often premiered with his orchestras. He died in

Hammond, Louisiana Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States, located east of Baton Rouge and northwest of New Orleans. Its population was 20,019 in the 2010 U.S. census, and 21,359 at the 2020 population estimates program. Ham ...

(United States). Ernest Schuyten was married to Louise Schuyten and they had one son, Hartwig Schuyten sr. The grandson Hartwig Schuyten jr. and his father both were victims to the

Hurricane Camille Hurricane Camille was the second most intense tropical cyclone on record to strike the United States, behind the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. The most intense storm of the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season, Camille originated as a tropical depression ...

in 1969.

Compositions

* Piano concerto * Violin concerto * Alma Mater (1938) * ''Missa Solemnis in Honorem Sancti Georgii'' (1942) * Reverie for violin and piano (1944) * Berceuse for violin and piano (1944) * Symphony for orchestra (1948, premiered 02.01.1951 at New Orleans with the composer conducting) * Tone poem for orchestra * The canticle of love, for orchestra * Concert march „Loyola Crusaders“

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schuyten, Ernest 1881 births 1974 deaths American classical composers American male classical composers American music educators Belgian classical composers Belgian male classical composers 20th-century American male musicians